This invention relates to vehicle suspensions; it is applicable to any wheeled vehicle, but especially to tracked vehicles used by the military. One object of the invention is to provide a suspension that is located outside the vehicle body so that the vehicle interior space is more effectively used for its intended purpose, e.g. equipment or personnel. Another object of the invention is to provide a suspension that occupies a relatively small space within a reasonably sized roadarm; the small space feature minimizes the undesired weight increase for incorporation of the suspension function in the unsprung mass (wheel-roadarm assembly). A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle suspension wherein the suspension force can be controlled and changed at each road wheel from a remote location such as the driver's station. A further object is to provide a suspension wherein the suspension forces at the collective road wheels can be raised or lowered to vary the ground clearance and vehicle silhouette (heighth).
The general object of the invention is to provide vehicle suspension that is manufacturable at relatively low cost, and that is repairable in the field without excessive component tear-down effort.
The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.